Centerpost dispenser



April 18, 1961 J. F. OLES CENTERPOST DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 23, 1959 INVENTOR. F OLES H W P E I S ATTORNEY April 18, 1961 J. F. OLES CENTERPOST DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 23, 1959 IN VENTOR. JOSEPH ROLES ATTORNEY United States Patent CENTERPOST DISPENSER Joseph F. Oles, Cincinnati, Ohio, assignor to The Murray Corporation of America, Syracuse, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 808,413

5 Claims. (Cl. 68-207) This invention relates to automatic washing machines, and more particularly to a device for dispensing atreatment agent automatically into a rinsing operation forming an intermediary part of a normal complete wash cycle.

In vertical axis automatic washing machines having an agitator for washing within a tub which centrifugally extracts, it is desirable to introduce rinsing agents into the tub after the initial washing stage of the cycle, without requiring the attention of the operator, once the wash cycle is commenced. Apparatus operating as a result of centrifugal force during extraction of the wash water, following an agitated wash period has been proposed in Wagner No. 2,522,242. Apparatus wholly supported by an angularly oscillatory agitator have been proposed in US. Patents No. 2,868,006 and No. 2,792,701. I The present invention is directed to a simplified version of the apparatus shown in Wagner, in that a single annular cup, disposed within the agitator column and independent thereof, is mounted upon the hollow centerpost supporting the wash tub so as to discharge its contents within the agitator column when centrifugal extraction of wash water from the tub takes place. The hollow agitatorcolumn into which discharge takes place, is modified to retain the agent until the end of the centrifugal extraction period. I

The above and other novel features of the invention "ice agitator hub and seals the drive block opening 34. The shaft 28 projects through a hollow tub centerpost 36. A hearing sleeve 38 and seal 40 are disposed within the upper end of the post 36, for the shaft 28. The lower end of the centerpost is flared outwardly as at 42, and supports the, annular bottom 44 of a wash tub, which also acts as a centrifuge. The centerpost is secured to a drive flange 46. During washing it will be understood that the agitator shaft 28 angularly oscillates, and the centerpost 36 and tub 44 remain stationary. During centrifuging the centerpost and tub accelerates to a centrifuging speed of 500 r.p.m. or more, and the agitator shaft 28 and agitator 20 normally rotate with the tub.

In order to add a treatment agent to the rinse water, which is to be introduced into the tub following initial washing and centrifugal elimination of the soapy wash water, there is mounted on the upper end of the centerpost, an annular cup 50, having an inner circular and slightly tapered wall 51 adapted to enshroud the upper tapered end of the centerpost. The inner wall is olfset inwardly at its upper end to form a shoulder as at 5-2, to seat on the upper end of the centerpost. As

.shown in Figure 2, such wall may have an axial internal channel 54 formed therein to facilitate removal of the cup for cleaning, such channel admitting air between the centerpost and inside wall 51 as the cup is lifted. The cup is provided with an outwardly and upwardly flaring outer wall 56. The cup, when filled with a treatment agent, is adapted to discharge such agent over the lip 58 will appear more fully hereinafter from the following 1 detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts: I Figure l is a vertical axial section taken through an agitator tub centerpost;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the agitator supported filling device;

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; v I

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the agitator upper end showing the filling device in sealing position,

and taken on line 55 of Figure 3; and I 7 26 keyed on the end of the agitator drive shaft 28. The

agitator is held in position by a cap screw 30 threaded into the end of the agitator shaft 28, the screw 30 having a large hand cap 32 which bears against the end of the when the centerpost is accelerated to a sutficient speed, during the wash water extraction.

The internal wall of the agitator column is provided with an angular sectioned rubber or resilient plastic annular ring 60, located a substantial distance below the cup 50. Such ring may be cemented in place on the inside wall of the agitator column, and may have an internal metal ring 62 outwardly compressing the cylindrical flange portion 64 of the ring against the agitator column Wall to assist the cement in holding the ring in place. The internal diameter of the ring will be sufficiently large to at least yieldingly clear the lip 58 of the cup.

The upper hub portion of the agitator is provided with a fill port 66 adapted to discharge into the cup. Such fill port is provided with an angularly disposed sleeve 68 arranged in the sloping wall 70 of the agitator hub. The sleeve projects outwardly beyond the wall 70, and is provided with an outer annular rim or bead 72.

To assist in filling the cup through the sleeve 68, and also to provide a seal for the sleeve opening, for reasons which will hereinafter appear, there .is provided an annular collar and segmental filling funnel and seal member 80, the collar portion 81 of which is disposed about the conical upstanding end 82 of the agitator hub, and the segmental filling funnel and seal portion of which conforms with and is adapted to reston the sloping wall 70. Such segmental portion ha an aperture 84 shaped to resiliently distend over and couple with the head 72, and an upstanding arcuate and radial wall 85 of varying height, to provide a funnel or cup effect to receive the treatment agent and assist its flow into the sleeve 68 and into the annular cup therebelow. The under. face 86 of the segmental portion of the filling funnel, at a point angularly disposed from the aperture 84, is provided with a circular depression 88 having an inwardly directed annular lip 90, which lip is adapted to snap over the bead 72 of the sleeve 68, and form a seal therewith. It will be seen that the filling funnel maybe rotated on the'agitatorand relative thereto, to either'alignthe aperture 84 with the sleeve, or to align the depression 88, to seal the sleeve, and when aligned in either position, the member may be pressed downwardly so as to either engage the annular lip 83 around the aperture 84 beneath,

the head 72 of the sleeve, or to engage the annular lip 90 of the depression 88 around the bead 72 to provide a seal. The funnel member will be made of rubber or resilient plastic, having the necessary resilience to allow the aperture or the depression to be elastically engaged or disengaged from the fill sleevebead, by easy manual manipulation.

It will be understood that the-hollow column of the agitator may act as an air hell by reason of the seal of the cap screw on the upper end, and the bearing seal 40, provided the fill sleeve 68 is also sealed. Thus the Water level in the surrounding tub may be above the cup, or even above the lip of the cup, and yet be prevented from rising within the agitator column to any height such as would tend to disturb the contents of the cup during washing agitation.

The treatment agent is placed in the cup 50 atthe start of the wash cycle. During agitated wash, the

agitator angularly oscillates, and the cup does not rotate and retains its contents. During centrifugal extraction, the cup rotates with the tub and discharges its contents into the agitator column. The agitator column, rotating with the tub, retains the liquid agent, by centrifugal force by reason of the flange ring 60. When the tub and agitator slow down, after extraction of soapy wash water from the tub, and prior to rinsing, the treatment agent being no longer held by centrifugal force drops downwardly and upon the centerpost support flange and into the annular channel 1%. When rinse water is introduced into the tub, the treatment fluid mixes therewith, and thereafter the laundry contained in the tub is subjected to rinse water containing the treatment agent.

Although a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vertical axis oscillatory agitator and centrifugal extraction type washing machine, a hollow centerpost, a centrifugal extraction tub secured thereto, an angularly oscillatory agitator having a large diameter center column disposed coaxially around the centerpost, a drive shaft for said agitator extending up through said centerpost and secured to the agitator column at its upper end, an annular cup mounted on said centerpost within said agitator, and independent thereof, an inwardly extending flange secured to the inside wall of said agitator column below said cup, and port means in the upper end of said agitator disposed above said cup for filling said cup.

2. In a vertical axis oscillatory agitator and centrifugal extraction type washing machine, a hollow centerpost, a centrifugal extraction tub secured thereto, an angularly oscillatory agitator having a large diameter center column disposed coaxially around the centerpost, a drive shaft for said agitator extending up through said centerpost and secured to the agitator column at its upper end, an annular cup mounted on said centerpost within said agitator, and independent thereof, an inwardly extending flange secured to the inside wall of said agitator column below said cup, and port means in the upper end of said agitator disposed above said cup for filling said cup, said port means comprising a port extending through the agitator and a cup member mounted on the exterior of said agitator adjacent the upper end thereof having an aperture adapted to be coupled with said port.

3. In a vertical axis oscillatory agitator and centrifugal extraction type washing machine, a hollow centerpost, a

centrifugal extraction tub secured thereto, an angularly oscillatory agitator having a large diameter center column disposed coaxially around the centerpost, a drive shaft for said agitator extending up through said centerpost and secured to the agitator column at its upper end, an annular cup mounted on said centerpost within said agitator, and independent thereof, an inwardly extending flange secured to the inside wall of said agitator column below said cup, and port means in the upper end of said agitator disposed above said cup for filling said cup, said port means comprising a port extending through the agitator, and a cup member mounted on the exterior of said agitator and adjacent the upper end thereof and having an aperture therein, said cup member having a port capping recess on the under side thereof, and said cup member having pivotal means embracing a portion of said agitator, whereby said cup member is angularly movable upon the agitator end to align said aperture, or said recess with said port.

4. In a vertical axis oscillatory agitator and centrifugal extraction type washing machine, a hollow centerpost, a centrifugal extraction tub secured thereto, an angularly oscillatory agitator having a large diameter center column disposed coaxially around the centerpost, a drive shaft for said agitator extending up through said centerpost and secured to the agitator column at its upper end, an annular-cup mounted on said centerpost within said agitator, and independent thereof, an inwardly extending flange secured to the inside wall of said agitatorcolumn below said cup, and port means in the upper end of said agitator disposed above said cup for filling said cup, said port means comprising a sleeve having a portion projecting above the agitator and having an outer annular head on the upper end thereof, and a segmental shaped cup member mounted on the exterior of said agitator and adjacent the upper end thereof, and having an aperture therein, said cup member having a port capping recess on the underside thereof, said cup member having pivotal means embracing a portion of said agitator, whereby said cup member is angularly movable upon the agitator end to align said aperture or said recess with said sleeve, and means on said aperture, and associated with said recess for yielding attachment over said sleeve head.

5. In a vertical axis oscillatory agitator and centrifugal extraction type washing machine, a hollow centerpost, a centrifugal extraction tub secured thereto, an angularly oscillatory agitator having a large diameter center column disposed coaxially around the centerpost, a drive shaft for said agitator extending up through said centerpost and secured to the agitator column at its upper end, an annular cup mounted on said centerpost within said agitator, and independent thereof, an inwardly extending flange secured to the inside Wall of said agitator column below saidcup, and port means in the upper end of said agitator disposed above said cup for filling said cup, said port means comprising a port extending through the agitator, and a cup member mounted on the exterior of said agitator and adjacent the upper end thereof and having an aperture therein, said cup member having a port cap recess therein, means pivotally mounting said cup on said agitator whereby to align said aperture or said recess with said port on angular relative movement between said cup member and agitator.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,522,242 Wagner Sept. 12, 1950 2,792,701 Bochan May 21, 1957 2,868,006 Tingley Jan. 13, 1959 

